Roasted masala peanuts

This can also be called peanut pakoda!! This is a very popular snack in south India sold in every bakery and pakoda stall.The red tinted deep fried snack makes every mouth water at first glance. I have been trying this recipe for several years to get that cruncy consistency.Well!! Rome was not built in a day. But EUREKA!! thats how I felt when I figured out the recipe while keeping my sanity.Now its turn to enjoy this snack and comment on this blog.If you are planning a cricket match party or in the US a NFL game time this might be a good addition to your chips and dip. To make it more spice flavored I have added fennel and coriander seeds. You can leave them behind and still this will be a good snack.

 

Ingredients:

• Dry roasted peanuts - One cup
• Besan/Chick pea flour - 1/3 cups
• Rice flour - 2 tbsp
• Chilly powder - one tbsp
• Fennel - one tsp
• Coriander seeds - one tsp
• Curry leaves - 10 leaves
• Red orange food coloring - one pinch
• Salt - one tsp
• Oil - enough for deep frying

Directions:

1. Crush the fennel and coriander seeds in a coffee grinder coarsely.
2. Place the oil on the stove. While it is getting heated, mix all the ingredients with the peanuts.
3. Add about 2-3 tbsp of water and mix the peanuts with the flour and spices just enough to make it sticky. DO NOT MAKE IT TOO WET. The idea is to just coat the flour and spices to the peanuts.
4. Carefully using a laddle take about 2 tbsp of hot oil from the pan and mix with the peanut and spice mixture. DONOT USE BARE HANDS IMMEDIATLEY to mix!!
5. Making sure the mixture is not too hot then mix well.
6. Grab about a lemon sized ball of the mixture and slowly disperse them in the hot oil without lumping into balls. using your finger seperate the peanuts mixture while dropping in the oil.
7. Deep fry in medium flame until the oil bubbles recede.
P.S: If you are not fan of food colors please feel free to omit it. Except for the appealing colors it doesnt make any difference in the recipe.